IT is something of a cliché to describe the Welsh hills in winter as 'beautiful but treacherous'. Beauty, it is true, is in the eye of the beholder - but few beholders could ever enjoy the typical Welsh winters of recent years, characterised by claggy grey clouds and drizzly misery. More often than not, sweating to death in the humid conditions is more of a danger than frostbite. But sometimes, it all comes good, and the hills of Snowdonia are buried in snow. Thousands of walkers and climbers then flock to the area, keen to enjoy the Alpine conditions - especially when the sun comes out. Caution is always advisable, the newspapers are not always wrong. The winter wonderland can indeed soon turn into a disaster area. The mountain rescue teams across North Wales are far busier in winter than in the summer months. Even when snow is absent, a slippery film called verglas can coat the rocks - this is highly treacherous, and more slips occur in these conditions than any others. Anybody venturing on to the Welsh hills in winter should be prepared. | 
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